Justin Bieber Atlanta Petition Turns Out To Be Radio Station Publicity Stunt

The Facebook group, the protest gathering, the global news coverage: all just part of a stunt apparently.

An online protest launched to rally against the arrival of troubled pop star Justin Bieber in an upmarket Atlanta neighbourhood is apparently just a stunt designed to spark publicity for local station WROK Rock 100.5 FM. According to the Facebook page of the Buckhead Neighborhood Coalition, the folks who live in in Atlanta, Georgia's upscale Buckhead neighborhood don't want Justin Bieber moving in.

A Protest Launched To Oppose Justin Bieber Moving To Buckhead, Atlanta, Was A Publicity Stunt.

The 19 year-old singer is said to be currently staying in the area and looking for a place to buy. The rebellious star has been in trouble with the law for DUI recently and could be looking to move into the pricey, family-friendly suburb to keep his head down and stay out of trouble as he rebuilds his career.

"As a community here in Buckhead, we have worked hard to achieve our goals and get to where we are. Justin Bieber's relocation to Atlanta can be nothing but bad for our children, as well as the community. Some can't even let their children play in the driveway without fear; he has raced vehicles under the influence, before. What's to say he won't do it again? As a home owner down the street from this residence, one can assume many people will be contacting real estate agents soon enough," reads the group's manifesto.

An Atlantan Radio Station Has Emerged As The Pranksters Behind The Anti-Bieber Stunt.

The protest, which was scheduled for the bizarre time of 6am on Monday, apparently only attracted six attendees. However, the time conveniently coincided with the start of The Regular Guys' morning slot on the station. Photos posted from the "event" showing the small handful of people who bothered to attend was captioned "The Regular Guys know good radio," effectively giving up the game.

A statement on the station's website confirmed the stunt, saying "National news and entertainment outlets - CNN, TMZ, Perez Hilton and more - picked up the story and ran with it! [...] it was all part of an elaborate prank pulled by none other than ROCK 100.5's own, The Regular Guys!" Judging by the comments on the group's page, comments that were initially tinged with ire towards Bieber are now directed at the time-wasting deejays and their publicity grabbing stunt.

Bieber's Mugshot: The Star Has Been In Big Trouble With The Law Recently.

Although many residents maintained their outspoken disapproval of Beiber's antics or congratulated the station on the prank, many accused TRG's hosts, Larry Wachs, Southside Steve Rickman and Tim Andrews of stirring up Bieber's negative media attention.

Justin Bieber has had a rocky time of late, having faced charges related to the egging of his neighbour's house, the assault of a limo driver and reportedly driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.